Chapter 8: This Episode Features Unlucky Straight Top #1

Chapter 8: The Unlucky Straight Guy (1)

"Grandpa Zhang, you're not messing with me, are you?"

By morning, it was already time for work, but Qin Shu showed no sign of heading out.

He was still sitting on the bed in his pajamas, with his terminal communication on, his expression heavy and tinged with despair.

"Why would I lie to you? You brat, I'm really retiring!" An old voice came from the other end. "Find a time, and we'll go to the White Tower, sign a contract, and find you a new guide."

"..."

The person on the other end sighed and revealed the truth: "Xiao Shu, your Grandpa Zhou's health is probably giving out. Before he passes away, I want to take him back for one last look."

"His hometown is in the North Star Sector..."

Grandpa Zhou was Grandpa Zhang's partner. Parting through death is a forever sorrowful subject. After asking about the details, Qin Shu's mood grew heavy too.

He declined Grandpa Zhang's invitation but handled all the tedious formalities that didn't require Grandpa Zhang's personal presence.

Given Grandpa Zhou's severe illness, Qin Shu couldn't bear to let Grandpa Zhang go through so much trouble for him.

After setting a time to visit, Qin Shu sadly hung up the call.

This was bad. His temporary guide was retiring. Where was he supposed to find another suitable temporary guide now?

And on top of that, he had to be forced to go to the White Tower again?!

-

The White Tower was the Empire's centralized management center for guides. Most guides in the empire worked there, and their only job was to help sentinels with mental guidance.

Among the empire's sentinels who died abnormally each year, over forty percent died from mental breakdowns.

And mental guidance was the only proven way to effectively stabilize a sentinel's mental domain.

The higher the level of the sentinel, the more dependent they were on guides, and this was especially true for high-level sentinels like Qin Shu who had been on the battlefield...

In theory, that is.

But Qin Shu was a special case.

It was probably the cheat ability of a transmigrator: his mental domain was incredibly stable, never showing signs of breakdown, so he didn't need a guide at all.

Not needing one was one thing, but obeying organizational arrangements was another matter entirely; otherwise, he’d easily get taken in for research as an anomaly.

So when choosing his exclusive guide, Qin Shu was extremely cautious.

First, the regulations required a high-level guide.

Second, he only accepted temporary binding.

Permanent binding felt too much like dating, and mental guidance itself was too intimate. Mental tendrils entering the mental sea, combing, soothing, empathizing...

He would only allow his future girlfriend to do that to him; single male guides of similar age were absolutely out of the question!

So in the end, with a wave of his hand and under the stunned gaze of the receptionist, he chose the guide instructor Grandpa Zhang, Zhang Qingyuan, who had been rehired by the White Tower.

Sixty-eight years old, white hair and white beard, with an immortal, celestial air about him.

Very safe.

Grandpa Zhang's gentle soothing was incredibly comfortable. Every now and then, he'd chuckle and pat Qin Shu's head, like a celestial being laying a hand on his head, the warm spiritual touch, like sunlight, warmed Qin Shu's heart.

Who would've thought, with the unpredictability of life, that Grandpa Zhang, after they had worked together for so long, was about to retire.

And Qin Shu had to find time to go to the White Tower, sign the contract termination, undergo a spiritual stability check, and then find a temporary guide who could work with him long-term.

Might as well do it today. Forget work—Qin Shu, a man of action, decided to leave now.

Before leaving, Qin Shu hesitated, wondering if he should let Li Wuya know about this.

He inexplicably recalled Li Wuya's words, "willing to take care of everything for you." Of course, he believed it, but the esteemed general was busy with countless matters, and this was just a trivial issue for him...

He pulled out his terminal to check the headline: "XXXX Conference Concludes, General Li Meets with the Marshal for Talks."

Hmm, he was busy. It was just a trip to the White Tower; he could handle it alone!

...Really, he could.

-

Half an hour later, at the center of the western district of the capital, a white tower pierced the clouds, surrounded by solemn buildings and a steady stream of visitors.

A tall sentinel appeared at this spot.

He was fully decked out in a mask, sunglasses, and a hat.

Nearby passersby clicked their tongues in annoyance, saying to their companions, "Who does he think he is, dressed like that?"

The companion replied, "Maybe he's some big celebrity..."

Qin Shu heard them and swallowed his anger.

Would he dress like this if he had a choice? They had no idea how dangerous this place was!

A young guide ran over and waved at Qin Shu: "You're here... Bro, I'll take you to the staff passage right away!"

The guide barely stopped himself from calling him "Shu-ge," dizzy with excitement, stopping to watch the man before him clasp his hands together in a gesture of thanks.

Oh my god! Getting a request from that Qin Shu—this was the best day of his life! He absolutely couldn't screw this up!

Qin Shu was thinking the same: I must not mess this up.

The main entrance of the White Tower required facial recognition, so there was no way he could use it. After scrolling through his contacts, he suddenly remembered that the partner of an old army buddy worked at the White Tower.

Taking him through the staff passage definitely wasn't against the rules; he just didn't want to cause a stir!

But sometimes, when luck is against you, even drinking water can get stuck in your teeth.

Just before exiting the staff passage, Qin Shu stopped in his tracks.

He sensed someone lurking ahead—unclear if friend or foe. But it was probably a guide?

The next second, that person jumped out.

They were wearing the White Tower uniform, young, with a mean-looking face and a sharp tongue.

"Wang Le, I saw you acting suspiciously. So you're getting people from outside to do your bidding?"

Wang Le, the young guide leading Qin Shu, turned pale instantly: "Don't talk nonsense; he's a regular visitor!"

"A regular visitor? Then why take the staff passage," the person kept rattling on. "Not only are you getting involved with sentinels outside, but you're also so good at bending the rules. I wonder if that useless partner of yours at home even knows—"

Wang Le's face went white. "Shut your mouth!"

But it was already too late.

The air went dead silent, this weird pressure spreading through the place. The guy standing in the back finally looked up.

From under the brim of his cap, those lazy black eyes went cold.

In the busy hallway, everyone just instinctively shut up. Qin Shu took off his mask.

"Who the hell did you just call a waste?"

His voice was low, smooth—way too smooth.

-

Qin Shu wasn't trying to make a scene, but he couldn't stand there and do nothing while his former comrade got trashed like that.

He couldn't fight the guide, so he'd win them over by being the bigger man.

Ten seconds later, the guide was shaking, stammered an apology to Wang Le, and promised never to trouble him or badmouth his buddy again. Qin Shu finally let it go.

The second he looked up, Qin Shu knew he'd just screwed himself at the last second before daylight.

Everyone was staring at him, this mix of surprise and curiosity, like he was some kind of imperial endangered species.

They all lit up their terminals at once.

"Qin Shu!"

Someone yelled it out first.

-

Qin Shu hated the White Tower with a passion.

Every woman here wanted to set him up, and every guy here was gay.

And they were the kind who were into him!

These guys, emboldened by the laws here, swarmed him, asking questions and groping.

"Colonel Qin, what are you doing at the White Tower today?"

"Colonel Qin, why can't we send you date requests anymore?"

"Colonel Qin, is it true the military's got a thing for sending you handmade desserts?"

His face got colder the faster he walked. He couldn't just blink out of there; the guides had the front blocked off too. If he pushed through, he'd definitely knock someone over... So sneaky and underhanded! Freaking homosexuals!

He suddenly wished Li Wuya were here. For some weird reason, even though both he and Li Wuya had that cold, aloof vibe, these guides were way more scared of Li Wuya.

Qin Shu thought he'd practically written "back off" on his forehead!

Stone-faced, he pushed away the hand of a young guide touching his waist, bolted for the elevator, slammed the doors shut, and finally let out a breath.

On his terminal, Wang Le was frantically sending apology messages. Qin Shu comforted him a bit; it wasn't Wang Le's fault anyway, just his own bad luck.

He then sent a message to Li Wuya.

"Kongtong Unmatched 7432: I'm getting harassed again!

Kongtong Unmatched 7432: I feel like a million gay dudes are trying to assault me today

Kongtong Unmatched 7432: It's insane"

Li Wuya didn't reply. Qin Shu stepped out of the elevator.

This was the high-floor area for high-level guides, and it was very quiet.

Qin Shu walked to the front desk. "I have a ten o'clock appointment..."

The young guide at the reception desk looked up and let out another little gasp: "Qin Shu?!"

Qin Shu: ...

Fortunately, there were few people here, and the guide quickly regained professional composure: "The ten o'clock mental checkup, right? Got it, Colonel. Military gets priority. You can go to room 8201 now."

What they called a mental checkup, for Qin Shu, was simply a machine scanning his head and then sticking a patch on his temple while listening to some strange music.

The whole process took only about ten minutes. The doctor in charge leaned in: "Colonel, your mental domain is rock solid. Can I copy your scan as a sample to show my students?"

Qin Shu: ?

The doctor: "I mean, to show them what a completely stable mental domain looks like."

"...Uh, sure."

Why did it feel weird even though he was being praised?

The report was printing. The doctor chatted with Qin Shu: "Your last checkup was two months ago, right? This report only needs to be submitted once every six months. Why did you come again, Colonel?"

"My guide is retiring. I need a recent checkup report to terminate the contract."

The doctor was surprised: "Oh, I remember now. Is it Teacher Zhang? Then you'll need to find a new guide. What a pain."

The black-haired sentinel sat there, his handsome and stern face with a tight mouth. A baseball cap covered his head, casting some shadows over his brows and eyes, but it didn't make him look gloomy; the light in his eyes was striking.

He was wearing a loose jacket today, and it was hot indoors, so he unzipped it, revealing a black tactical vest underneath.

Why did sentinels love wearing such tight, figure-hugging inner layers?

The tactical vest was high-necked, covering just below his Adam's apple, outlining his collarbone, and hugging his waist and abdomen, thin and perfectly accentuating his body lines.

This married female guide found it baffling: Dressing like this to come to the White Tower, are you handing out free eye candy to the male guides?

The sentinel, completely unaware, said solemnly, "Yes, I need to find a temporary guide."

"..."

The doctor couldn't help asking, "If you want a temporary guide, your options are very limited. And they can only provide shallow soothing, right? Why not consider being bound to a long-term one?"

Mental guidance is divided into shallow soothing and deep linking.

Shallow soothing is a temporary guidance; usually only high-level guides can effectively soothe the restless mental domain of a high-level sentinel.

But once a deep mental link is established, the guide and sentinel form a highly stable mental resonance. Even a low-level guide can stabilize a high-level sentinel's mental state over the long term.

Therefore, most high-level sentinels nowadays choose long-term binding.

After all, high-level guides are already scarce resources, and few are willing to provide only shallow soothing for a long time...

The desires of guides for sentinels, besides physical attraction, also include psychological curiosity, the urge to explore, to conquer, and to control.

Who wouldn't want a sentinel with an extreme threat rating to lay himself completely bare before you, to kneel in submission in exchange for your mental soothing?

Especially when that man is Qin Shu.

The cold star of the Empire, the god of war on the battlefield—he is powerful, whole, and unparalleled. To control him is to control absolute strength, and he is a sentinel, born needing a guide's soothing.

Who wouldn't want him to look only at you, to need only you, to have those cold eyes burn with warmth for you, to have him crave what you give through the mental link—who wouldn't want to be his one and only love?

At this thought, the doctor shivered, feeling she now understood exactly why Qin Shu was so against this.

"That's right..." When the guide doctor looked up again, her eyes had softened with pity. "If you're going to find a long-term guide, you really have to look around carefully."

Qin Shu watched in bewilderment as the guide suddenly walked over and zipped up his jacket for him.

The doctor patted his shoulder. "A little sentinel like you needs to protect himself properly. Don't come to the White Tower dressed like this next time."

Qin Shu: ?

What was he even wearing today? He was covered head to toe—perfectly normal guy clothes, for crying out loud!

Just as he was puzzling over this, a sound came from the doorway.

Someone opened the door. "Colonel, sorry to put you through the trouble of coming here."

A mature male guide—gold half-rim glasses, a long braid resting on his shoulder, every gesture carrying an air of elegance.

The doctor addressed him: "Dean."